18 players have been injured in this international break after being in training with their national teams. Barcelona star Gavi has been one of the most affected by his injury as he has torn his anterior cruciate ligament and will not be available for another nine months.
The 19-year-old was tackled from behind and his knee buckled during already-qualified Spain’s 3-1 win in Valladolid on Sunday, and he left the pitch in tears. Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen also had to leave the Germany training camp due to back problems.
His injury does not appear to be serious but it is still uncertain whether he will be fit for the Catalan giants’ next La Liga match. Mikel Oyarzabal was also injured in a fortuitous action against Cyprus and was diagnosed with a left thigh injury.
The Real Sociedad striker will be unavailable for a few weeks as the injury is not too serious. But they were not the only ones to get injured.
Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga has also been equally unlucky. The Frenchman was injured in a training session after his teammate Dembele fell on him. The midfielder suffers a ruptured external lateral ligament in his right knee.
The injury will keep him out of action for eight to ten weeks. As a result, he will not be back on the pitch until early 2024. However, Real Madrid’s problems have not stopped there. Another of Carlo Ancelotti’s key players has also picked up an injury during this international break.
Vinicius Jr, who had to withdraw from the match against Colombia, was diagnosed with a femoral biceps rupture in his left leg and has also affected the distal tendon. The Brazilian could be out for around two and a half months, meaning he would not be on the pitch until 2024.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland also sustained an injury in the match against the Faroe Islands and was ruled out against Scotland. Despite leaving the training camp, it does not appear to be serious, although his presence in Manchester City’s next game is a question mark.
But it is not only the players of the top teams who have been hit on this international break. Mallorca were forced to let Muriqi go on a date when there was a La Liga game, as the match between Israel and Kosovo was postponed.
The striker ended the clash injured and limped off the pitch. Later, it was confirmed that he had a ruptured calf muscle in his left leg, which will keep him sidelined for around four to six weeks.
It has also been an international break of mixed feelings for Warren Zaire-Emery. The PSG midfielder made history and became France’s youngest debutant and goalscorer since World War I.
Nevertheless, he suffered a heavy tackle, forcing him off the bench. Following medical tests, the midfielder suffered a sprained ankle and will be out for several weeks.
This blacklist does not end here and up to 18 names are present on it. Lucas Ocampos, Mandi, Andre Onana, Bastoni, McKennie, Miretti, Vicario, Ochoa, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Marcus Rashford have also suffered physical problems with their national teams.
FIFA also bears some of the responsibility when a player is injured during an international match. Specifically, 20,580 euros per day for the clubs. In other words, an injury of around six months could cost around four million euros.
All these injuries are not the result of chance. It is true that it is always a risk to take into account in a contact sport such as football. However, both players and clubs themselves agree on the same problem: the overloaded calendar.
New competitions, international breaks, friendlies, tours all over the world, poor preparation and accumulated fatigue from hours and hours of travel, translated into a high number of matches that is becoming more and more frequent.
Footballers and coaches have already raised their voices on numerous occasions. However, we must not forget that football, apart from being a sport, is also a business.
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